To Create Beauty

Yes, this is a picture of my main toilet room downstairs in our house. Behind the curtain is a little vented window into the garage.

Now it is covered, and I hope, this room is a little more welcoming.

Have you beautified anything this week?

Thankful for Yummy Things

Oatmeal spice muffins, M&M Cookies, Yogurt, Bread

Beef Curry for Dinner

Today was a yummy day. While delicious things emerged from the kitchen to enjoy throughout the afternoon, beef curry simmered in the crock pot for dinner.

There is something therapeutic about being busy in the kitchen. I was exhausted in the evening---a "good-exhausted".

New Fall/Winter Menu Plan

Puff Pancake

You might be thinking, "Fall? Winter? Isn't it the middle of May? We are eagerly waiting for Summer to arrive!"

Here in Madagascar the weather is turning cooler, relatively speaking of course. Considering our lows are about the same as the west coast of BC's highs---12 degrees.

Anyways, I have been "flying by the seat of my pants" for long enough now. Anybody who has read my blog long enough knows that I am an avid meal planner, and as of late, like the past 3 months I haven't really planned any meals. Nap time rolls around and I'm frantically trying to figure out what we will be having for dinner that evening! No More.

The following is my meal plan for the next four weeks, and I will likely repeat it until I decide to come up with something different. I only ever plan for dinners (or the main meal of the day). Our breakfasts are pretty simple around here: either toast or oatmeal with chocolate milk, (I start my mornings with coffee). Lunches are also fairly simple, peanut butter sandwiches with either jam or banana, or leftovers, or rice.

Dinner Menu for Fall / Winter

Week 1

Sunday: Pancakes

Monday: Chicken Curry

Tuesday: Hamburgers and Chips

Wednesday: Corn Chowder with Dinner Rolls

Thursday: Mongolian Beef, Rice, cold veggies and dip

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: Sloppy Lentils on fresh buns with Corn

Week 2

Sunday: Puff Pancakes and fruit

Monday: Taco Salad with pico de gallo salsa (fresh chopped salsa)

Tuesday: Pakistani Kima with Rice

Wednesday: Pasta with Alfredo Sauce, salad & cold veggies

Thursday: Roasted Chicken

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: Meatball Soup & Buns

Week 3

Sunday: French Toast or Pancakes

Monday: Chicken Dumplings

Tuesday: Meatloaf

Wednesday: Thai Peanut Chicken with Rice or noodles

Thursday: Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Rice

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: Bean Chili with Cornbread

Week 4

Sunday: Puff Pancake with Fruit

Monday: Beef Curry with Rice

Tuesday: Spaghetti & French Bread

Wednesday: Roasted chicken & potatoes (make extra for next meal)

Thursday: Shepherd's Pie

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: Coconut Chicken with Rice

You may have noticed we eat a lot of rice around here. The children prefer it over potatoes, and quite frankly, it's super easy to prepare and goes with anything. Each Friday we either order pizza or make it. (Since moving to Madagascar we've opted to order pizza because it's almost cheaper than making our own, however every now and then we still like making it, because there's nothing like a homemade crust!) Sundays are very simple. I try and have a soup ready in the crock pot for our lunch after church, and then we enjoy snack foods and something lighter for dinner.

Where Hospitality Begins

The latest book I bought is A Life That Says Welcome by Karen Ehman. Her focus is hospitality; hospitality in our own home, and then outside of our home with others.

The message of where hospitality should begin was key for me. How easy it is to put on a smile for others not living inside the four walls of my house. Speaking in a cheery nice tone also isn't terribly difficult toward friends. But why is it so difficult to do the same toward my own family members? How is it that I can be sweetly chatting with a friend on the phone, but then turn and snap at my children only moments later once I've hung up? Or the other way around.... and then answer the phone nicely, only to forget the shambles of a conversation I just left with my own dear family.

Karen writes about how her children were her best mirror in the early days of learning that her family actually wasn't coming first in the hospitality area... "Who are making dessert for, Mom?"  "The house is so clean! Whose coming over?" Yikes.

Head on over to Karen's website if you're interested in what she has to say about hospitality. She has fabulous guest bloggers every day until April 6th writing on such topics.

Any thoughts?

Ruined Stock

I was disappointed to find this in my freezer! Two recently frozen jars of homemade chicken stock. I was surprised this happened; I specifically made sure NOT to fill them too full because I have had this happen to me before with pea soup.

Drink Up

As a busy mom, almost always wishing I had an extra pair of arms on me, I always forget to drink water! And I’m not the carry-the-water-bottle-around-wherever-you-go type of a person. Actually I don't even really like drinking water. Recently, I read online a great tip for making sure I am drinking a good amount of water each day.

There seems to be a controversy around how much a person needs to drink each day. Is it 8-10 glasses per day? Is it actually only 4? Does it matter if you’re breastfeeding or not? Is the answer different depending on whether you are male or female? I’ll leave that for you to figure out for yourself.

The tip is a great one, I think, especially if you rather drink water that’s not freezing cold from the tap or your fridge. Simply fill with water the number of glasses you wish to consume the next day before you go to bed. Leave them on your counter overnight. I find by doing this any background chlorine taste your water may have has evaporated by the next day. Setting the glasses of water on my counter is a constant reminder to drink up! Every time I come into the kitchen I can visually see how much I’ve had and what I have yet to drink.


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My Mom's Bun Recipe

This bun recipe really is amazing. This is not a dinner roll size bun though. These are large enough to be burger buns! They rise better than any other bun recipe I have tried!

4 Cups Warm Water
1 TB Yeast
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup softened butter/margarine
1 TB White Vinegar
1 TB Salt
9-10 Cups All-purpose Flour

Combine water with sugar and yeast and allow yeast to proof.
In a mixing bowl combine salt, vinegar, softened butter.

Add proofed yeast and water to mixing bowl and add 9 cups of flour. Knead in another cup if required. Form an elastic dough by kneading for approximately 15 minutes, or 7 with a Kitchen Aid mixer or equivalent.

Allow to rise in a warm spot for an hour or until doubled.

Punch down and form into 36 to 40 buns. Place on a greased sheet and allow to rise for another hour.
(If making cinnamon buns, make into three large rectangles, roll and cut each roll into 12 pieces.)

Bake at 325C for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from pans immediately and allow to cool.

(For cinnamon bun filling I spread melted margarine on each rectangle and then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.) See Cinnamon Buns here.

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GIANT Cinnamon Buns

These cinnamon buns turned out enormous!

I suppose that's what a recipe designed for 36 will do when you squish 24 buns into three smallish pans.

MmmmMmmmmm so good. Reminds me of going home. My mom seems to always have these ready for us.

 

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Too

I have been using the following homemade dishwasher detergent, and to my surprise, it has also been a success!
If you buy the bigger bottle of the commercial detergent, it lasts approximately 64 loads, working out to $0.15 per load.
Again, with the homemade detergent, you're looking at about $.06 per load. A significant savings, plus going back to basic cleaning ingredients.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
1/4 Cup Citric Acid
1/8 Cup Coarse Salt
Stir up well. Use about 1 TB per load.

As well, if you find you have had to use a commercial rinse aid product in your dishwasher, try switching to vinegar.

Old But New Recipe for Laundry

After doing some extensive online research for homemade laundry soaps, I have found the following mixture to be the most common. I would imagine this recipe originated from a couple generations ago. It combines age-old simple ingredients to create a detergent that leaves clothes clean and smelling fresh.

I have tested this recipe in my HE front loading washing machine, on cold, warm, and hot cycles, and it seems to work just fine. It is low sudsing, so it happens to be perfect for these water efficient machines.

I have tossed my husband's grubby clothes in the laundry, after he has spent the day in our muddy musty crawl space, and they seemed to wash out just fine with the homemade detergent.

My daughter's receiving blankets came out white and smelling fresh! Goodbye sour spit-up smell! In fact, many websites I visited used this recipe to wash babies cloth diapers in. So I was convinced it was powerful enough for my family's clothes.

Not only is this detergent effective and green, it is CHEAP! After calculating the per load costs, we're looking at spending $.05 per load versus $.18 per load on a commercial detergent.

Benefits of homemade laundry soap:

• Cheaper $0.05/per load
• Less chemicals/fillers
• Easy to make
• Green (safe on septic-systems)

Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe:

1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
1 Bar of Ivory Soap, grated

Use 1 TB per load.

I used Arm & Hammer washing soda I found at Superstore in the laundry soap section. Any pure bar soap can be used. While I was looking at Superstore, I saw Sunlight brand bar soap in the laundry section as well. It was very expensive though.

Happy laundering!

(Wow, looks like my linens are need of re-organizing, doesn't it!?)

What's In Those Dryer Sheets Anyways?

Out of personal interest, I decided to try and find out what is in dryer sheets and fabric softeners. It wasn't difficult.

All the more reason to do without, if you can!
By the way, my vinegar substitute for fabric softener and my wool balls in the dryer are working great. No, there's no bounce smell, but that doesn't bother me when I remember the chemicals we're easily avoiding.

Don't worry, I'm not becoming a "chemophobic" or anything like that. BUT, if I can be informed and make easy changes, it seems like a no-brainer to do so. It is impossible to protect ourselves from chemicals completely!

Copied From: Chemicals Found in Fabric Softeners/Dryer Sheets
Alpha-Terpineol
Causes CNS (central nervous system) disorders... "highly irritating to mucous membranes" ..."Aspiration into the lungs can produce pneumonitis or even fatal edema." Can also cause "excitement, ataxia (loss of muscular coordination), hypothermia, CNS and respiratory depression, and headache." "Prevent repeated or prolonged skin contact."
Benzyl Acetate
Carconigenic (linked to pancreatic cancer). "From vapors: irritating to eyes and respiratory passages, exciting cough." "In mice: hyperanemia of the lungs." "Can be absorbed through the skin causing systemic effects." "Do not flush to sewer."
Benzyl Alcohol
Causes CNS disorders ..."irritating to the upper respiratory tract" ..."headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drop in blood pressure, CNS depression, and death in severe cases due to respiratory failure."
Camphor
Causes CNS disorders. On EPA's Hazardous Waste list. Symptoms: "local irritant and CNS stimulant" ..."readily absorbed through body tissues" ..."irritation of eyes, nose, and throat" ..."dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles and convulsions". "Avoid inhalation of vapors."
Chloroform
Neurotoxic. Anesthetic. Carcinogenic. on EPA's Hazardous Waste list. "Avoid contact with eyes, skin, clothing. Do not breathe vapors ...Inhalation of vapors may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of respiratory tract and loss of consciousness." "Inhalation can be fatal." "Chronic effects of overexposure may include kidney and/or liver damage." "Medical conditions generally aggravated by exposure: kidney disorders, liver disorders, heart disorders, skin disorders." "Conditions to avoid: Heat..." Listed on California's Proposition 65.
Ethyl Acetate
Narcotic. On EPA's Hazardous Waste list. "...Irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract" ..."may cause headache and narcosis (stupor)" ..."may cause anemia with leukocytosis and damage to liver and kidneys". "Wash thoroughly after handling."
Limonene
Carcinogenic. "Prevent its contact with skin or eyes because it is an irritant and sensitizer." "Always wash thoroughly after using this material and before eating, drinking ...applying cosmetics. Do not inhale limonene vapor."
Linalool
Narcotic. Causes CNS disorders. ..."respiratory disturbances" ..."Attracts bees." "In animal tests: ataxic gait, reduced spontaneous motor activity and depression ...depressed heart activity ...development of respiratory disturbances leading to death."
Pentane
"Danger - Harmful if inhaled ...Avoid breathing vapor." "Inhalation of vapors may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of respiratory tract and loss of consciousness. Repeated inhalation of vapors may cause CNS depression. Contact can cause eye irritation. Prolonged exposure may cause dermatitis (skin rash)."

CNS = Central Nervous System
Your brain and spine. CNS disorders include: Alzheimer's Disease, Attention Deficit Disorder, Dementia, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Seizures, Strokes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
CNS exposure symptoms include: aphasia, blurred vision, disorientation, dizziness, headaches, hunger, memory loss, numbness in face, pain in neck and spine.

"Green Cleaning." Me?

This has been a long time in coming, and I was finally inspired to put feet to what I have wanted to do.

I am going to gradually start going green when it comes to cleaning products that I use around my house.

I am not overly "green" conscious when it comes to ordinary day to day living. I use paper towel; I use wet wipes on occasion. We use paper coffee filters and ... dryer sheets! Besides keeping the environment a bit cleaner, I am mostly motivated to go green when it comes to cleaning products because of the toxic chemicals many commercial cleaners contain. I have been a long-time user of Windex, and........ bleach! Ah!

So, for my first "green" switch, we head to the laundry room. The scent of Bounce sheets is so overwhelming, and I actually like that smell, but the thought of the oils on those sheets ruining even more of my clothes, and breathing in toxic chemicals is enough for me stop using these! Not to mention the fire hazard they are to my dryer over time.

I googled homemade dryer balls and came up with many many webpages explaining how to make wool dryer balls. Following the simple instructions at http://www.savvyhomemade.com/homemade-dryer-balls.html, I now have two 5-inch wool balls sitting in my dryer waiting to fluff up our clothes and towels. Not only that, but I found that simple vinegar can be used instead of fabric softener in my washing machine!

Goodbye commercial fabric softeners! Hello vinegar and 100% wool.

Fun Popcorn

Pictured above: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Popcorn

and Butterscotch Almond Popcorn

Hot Fresh Muffin Anyone?

I enjoy having a muffin with my tea every now and then, and one of mine and the children's favorite lunches is muffins with cheese and grapes.

I found this homemade muffin mix here along with tons of variations and other homemade mixes.

A-B-C Muffin Base Mix
18 cups flour
5 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups buttermilk blend or non fat dry milk
6 Tb baking powder
2 Tb baking soda
2 Tb salt
3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp ground nutmeg

Measure all ingredients into a large bowl, blend well and the transfer to a sealable storage container.

TO MAKE 24 REGULAR SIZED MUFFINS:

Preheat oven to 400° and combine the following

4 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla

2 cups water

1 cup oil

5-1/2 cups muffin mix

The batter should be slightly lumpy.

Fill greased/buttered muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown.

Allow muffins to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before removing.

Another mix that I have enjoyed over the cooler months is this hot cocoa mix.

Green Smoothies, Revisited

Being late autumn, it has been difficult to feel in the mood for a smoothie. But I found a new green smoothie recipe and was determined to try it on my family today! Mwahahaha. :) Their dad continues to refuse to even give a green smoothie a thought, nevermind a taste, but my children sure inhaled theirs this morning! (And so did I.)

1/2 Banana

1/2 Cup Grapes

1 C Fresh Spinach

1/2 Apple (with seeds)

1/4 C Yogurt

1 C Pineapple (Canned or fresh)

1 C Ice Cubes

a dash of Vanilla extract

1 TB Wheat Germ

Process in the Vita-Mix until smooth (about 1 minute), use the tamper to push all ingredients into the blades.

Following is an old post I thought I'd share again.

(Originally Posted October 14, 2008)

I have taken a liking to green smoothies recently. Besides the health benefits of eating more greens, they're actually tasty!

My DD doesn't always eat salad or veggies at dinner and lunch, but getting one of these yummy colorful drinks into her isn't a problem.

2 Cups Fresh Spinach leaves

2 Celery Stalks

1 Apple (seeds and all)
1/2 Cup Apple Juice

1/2 Cup Water

1 Cup Ice Cubes

or another favourite:

1 Cup Kale

1 Cup Peaches

1 Cup Mangos

1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt

1/2 Cup Water

1 Cup Ice Cubes

The Perfect Whole Wheat Loaf

I have been trying to perfect my whole wheat loaf for a while now, and I think I have finally discovered the recipe AND the techniques to make this loaf more enjoyable to eat than ever! Pulling these fluffy light 100% whole wheat loaves out of my oven couldn't have been more exciting... as exciting as homemade bread-baking gets!

This recipe makes 2 loaves (1.5lbs ea)

2 cups warm water
1 TB Traditional Yeast
1/2 cup brown sugar (I haven't had honey in my kitchen lately, but you can definitely use 1/3 C honey instead)
1/3 cup Canola Oil (Or Olive Oil, again I don't have this in my kitchen right now)
2 t. salt
1/4 cup gluten
5 to 6 cups whole wheat flour

Now the major difference with the ingredient list that I am newly accustomed to, is adding gluten to my bread. I have shyed away from it during my years of bread baking, mostly because of the added cost, but when I worked it out, it should only add about $0.30 to each loaf, AND once experiencing the results, completely worth it!

As well, the techniques with this recipe are a little different than what I have done in the past, and I am certain they have also added to the success. I have always skimped on my first knead, but this time I have set my timer for a full 8 minutes and let my Kitchen Aid knead away. The dough is so elastic and amazing; I am partially tempted to try this technique alone and forget the gluten.

So as usual, combine ingredients after allowing the yeast to proof in the water and sugar.

Add flour and knead for 8 minutes in your machine, or perhaps 15 minutes by hand. Set the timer.

Rise in a warm spot, covered until doubled (about 1 hour)

Knead out air bubbles (about 30 seconds to 1 minute in the machine)

Divide and shape into 2 loaves and allow to rise in greased or oiled pans for an hour

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Turn out and allow to cool

My Favorite Way To Drink Kefir

My daughter and I love to drink Kefir this way:

3/4 Cup Kefir

1/2 Banana

4 Ice Cubes

Blended until smooth.

Serves 2 small cups.

Simple, plain, and oh so good.

Kefir Chai Frappe

Interesting blend of Chai Tea and Kefir - just another creative use for this healthful beverage!

Kefir Chai Frappe

Brew 1/2 cup Chai tea (2 tea bags in 1/2 cup boiling water for 7 minutes)

Sweeten as desired (I use 1 tsp sugar/honey)

Blend with 5-7 ice cubes until almost smooth

Add 1/2 cup of Kefir and lightly blend

My Kefir Grains

My kefir has finally graduated to a larger jar. This is very exciting for me because it means my grains are growing and I can make more kefir at a time!

My good friend was able to get a hold of some kefir grains from her friend, and so she shared some with me. That was about a month ago now, and it seems my grains are finally starting to grow as they should be.

If you have never heard of kefir than head over to this website and read all about it, or just google it and you'll get lots of information on it.

The short story: kefir is similar to yogurt. It is a fermented product jam packed with pro-biotics that actually colonize in your intestinal tract keeping you balanced and giving you a jump start on heading off any salmonella or E. Coli.

Other quick facts:

• It helps the digestion of lactose
• Easy to digest - good for babies and elderly
• Promotes healthy immune function
• It's rich in vitamins
• It may help to prevent breast cancer
• Rich in Tryptophen
• Relieves constipation - promotes regularity
• Protects urinary tract & prostate
• Controls cholesterol

Definitely do your own research too when thinking about adding different foods to your diet!

Have you ever had kefir? Honestly, I find it difficult to down on its own because of the strong flavor, but it's great in smoothies! In fact, you'd hardly even know you used kefir instead of yogurt or another milk product.

European Peasant Bread in 5 Minutes a Day!

The only problem with this bread, is trying to stop yourself from eating the whole loaf!

With this recipe and method, you won't be able to say you can't make homemade bread anymore, or you don't have time. It is so yummy, and so worth it. :))

This recipe will make four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved if you prefer. Preparing the dough for the first time is the most time consuming part.

3 C lukewarm water (not hot! that will kill your yeast)
1 1/2 TB Yeast (instant or traditional)
1 1/2 TB Salt or coarse salt
1/2 C Rye Flour (subsititute for all purpose if you want)
1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour (again substitute if you wish)
5 1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
Cornmeal for the pizza peel or cookie sheet

1) Mix yeast and salt with the water in a 5 litre bowl, or a lidded container (but not an airtight lid).

2) Mix remaining dry ingredients without kneading. Just stir using a wooden spoon until there are no more dry spots.

3) Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temp. until dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours, but may take longer if your water was cold. You won't ruin it if you let it rise for hours.

This is what the dough looks like after it's risen and collapsed. Pretty wet. There's no way you could knead this with your hands, it's way too sticky.

4) The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, but it is a lot easier to work with if it has been refrigerated for at least 3 hours or overnight.

The "5 Minutes a Day" part:
5) On baking day, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) portion. Use a serrated knife. Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides. You should only have to handle it for 30-60 seconds. Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel, or an upside down cookie sheet, for about 40 minutes.

6) Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450, with a baking stone placed in the middle rack, and a broiler tray on a lower rack.

7) Sprinkle loaf liberally with flour and slash a cross or scallop pattern into the top using a serrated bread knife.

8) Slide loaf directly onto stone, and pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray to create steam in your oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top crust is deeply browned and very firm.

9) Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

10) Try not to eat the whole loaf yourself :)

The dough will keep in your refrigerator for the next 14 days. And as it ages it will take on sourdough-like characteristics. Your last loaf will taste even more flavourful than your first!

Check out Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day for more recipes and variations on this simple technique.